Original love
by Missmarybeth
Summary: Rhydian meets her, and his world turns upside down. She's pretty, she's funny, and she hides a secret. With maddys jealousy, will she survive the first week? Set during 1x05
1. New girl

**I don't own wolfblood, all credit to CBBC and the writers.**

***OC WARNING***

Maybe one day they will understand what I am, maybe one day they'll even accept me. But not now, when all these people are stuck in their old way. We are the superior race, we are the stronger specie's, we are the predators.

I wipe that train of thought from my mind, remembering how Thompson had warned me of the power,the blood lust that ran in my family. I stare at the rolling Scottish hills, dotted with grazing cattle and sheep. I wish desperately that this wasn't my last hope, that this wasn't the only place left I could hide.

I'd been forced out of the colony, banished from my own kind because of my stupid older brother. Now, we were here, forced to live in hiding, to start a new life. I blink as the sun emerges from the clouds, stinging my eyes. I feel a small ache starting in my chest as I lose self-control for just a second, but I grab a hold on the pain and force it back down. Back in the colony, I had been just an ordinary girl, I didn't have to hide. But the elders had always known there was something unique about me. How I could change at certain alignments, not just the small section of the full. How pain used to rip through my body, how every sense was heightened until the point of extraordinary. I shouldn't be so big headed, but I cant help thinking that way.

In the colony, I was something, I was somebody. Now I'll be the pathetic new girl in a strange new school where everyone is mortal. But I can feel something pulling me here, like the golden mark line that is only visible to originals, that connects us to our soulmates.

My stomach twists uncontrollably at the thought of finding my mark, then all thoughts were erased from my mind as the old taxi came to a stop outside the old dreary village. I look around, expecting to see traffic lights or an obstruction of some sort. But there is nothing, not anything at all, just the cobble stones and old buildings.

"Get out." the old man in the drivers seat grumbled. I stare at his reflection in the mirror, trying to workout if he's joking. But he isn't, and he looks impatient, so I grab my old green shoulder bag and push open the car door. The cold air hit me like a brick wall, and I can feel the blue veins start to stretch across my hands, the changing of my blood as the wolf tries to brake free. I take a deep breath, swallow and rein in my control.

The veins start to disappear, and I moved towards the boot of the taxi. I grab my one small suitcase, and pull at the ugly grey skirt as I tuck in the hideous white blouse and straighten the grey and blue tie. I hate this uniform, it has to be the ugliest thing I have ever worn, but I have to endure it. I swing the suitcase over my shoulder, pay the taxi driver, then start to walk along the deserted road. I can smell sea water and vegetation, but I cant see any. I can hear a chorus of voices, some young, some old, all having different conversations at different places, but no one is around me. I tuck my long, blonde curly hair behind my ear as a specific conversation catches my attention. A boy about my age, 15, is talking to a younger girl, who sounds 14, about something strange.

I follow the voices, trying to figure out what it is they are trying to be so secretive about. I find myself stopping in front of the school, where a bus is waiting to take the students to the castle across the sea. The tide isn't low for long, and they are trying to keep to there schedule. I feel my heart wrench as I look into a crowd of boys, and see my mark line disappear into it. I don't want to know who my mark is, I don't want to know, I want to have the chance to fall in love.

I close my eyes and take in a few shallow breaths, then try to detach myself from the line. When I open my eyes, the lines are gone, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I can still hear the hushed whispers of the two, and shake away my worries to head towards them. I walk with purpose, keeping my head high and my shoulders squared. I dodge peoples bags and elbows, then finally I reach them.

The boys hair is a sandy blonde, and he has tanned skin and broad shoulders. He is defiantly handsome, and I find myself completely entranced. Then, I turn my attention to the small girl whose hair is a dark chestnut brown, her skin a milky white. Shes not extremely pretty, but shes not plain. Her eyes glow, and the glow triggers an erge to fight, to pounce. I calm the sense as her eyes dim down to a natural brown, and I walk forward, trying to catch his eyes.

The girl turns towards me, her eyes raking down my body, inspecting me. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion as she tries to place my face, then the boy turns, and my aquamarine eyes meet his sparkling green. There is a moment, when I see a ghost of a seeing, a whisper of something. Then its gone, because a teacher is pulling at my shoulder and trying to do his duty by introducing me.

"Everybody, this is Leona Sansbane. Rhydian, Maddy, I want you to look after her." the old teacher instructed the two who had caught my attention. I watched her reaction, the way she straightened her stance when our eyes met, trying to assert power. But even though I was the new girl, it was clear to us both and Rhydian that I was the alpha.

"Great." she whispered, her accent was clearly Scottish, and she had made her voice low, the word only meant for Rhydian, but I heard. I narrowed my eyes at her, and she gave me a sharp look. Rhydian moved towards me, his eyes locking on mine over and over again.

"Hey, I'm Rhydian. We've got to get on the bus." he said, and his voice had no trace of Scotland, it sounded more English. His hand rested on my shoulder, pushing me towards the mini buses sliding silver doors. I climbed in, receiving wolf whistles and cheering. I just smiled, used to the attention, and went to sit down in one of the middle seats. Maddy watched venomously as Rhydian took the seat next to me, it was clear she had feeling s for him. I smiled and waved, which only made her more furious.


	2. Our past

**Thankyou all for the reviews and favourites and follows it really means a lot to me!**

"So, what brings you here to the moors?" he asked the question I didn't want to answer. What was I suppose to tell him? I couldn't lie to him, there was an instinct inside of me, one older and more powerful than the founders and originals of our tribe. We rely on our instincts to keep us alive, and if my instincts are telling me to tell him, I should listen. But I can't, can I? I can't tell him about my secret, it would be suicide. I looked into his eyes, and felt myself surrender to my instincts.

"My old home, we had to leave. We were blamed for something we had no control over." I said, trying to tell the truth without giving away my secret. I am a wolfblood, a creature who turns into a wolf on the full moon. But there are a few of us, whose bloodlines have presented us with the characteristics of the original wolfbloods, who roamed the lands as mostly wolves. When they were human, they felt caged, trapped and suffer great pain. But when they turned into wolves, they felt there souls braking free, they escaped normal human capacities and were the dominant species. When I found out what I was, I'd felt excited as well as nervous. I'd been different, but in a great way.

"Oh, what happened?" he asked, all his attention centered on me. I felt my heart wrench, felt the line trying to creep back into my vision. I turned to the window as the mini bus came to the crossing, and I watched the water lap at the tarmac. I took a few breaths, then turned back to him, his eyes concerned, his features sort of confused. I couldn't keep losing control, I needed to concentrate!

"My brother, he did something stupid, something that angered the people. They blamed us, so we had to leave." I said, my voice strained and tainted with anger. If I could tell him, if he could understand, maybe things could be different. Maybe I wouldn't have to live in fear of being killed, tested on and imprisoned. But I couldn't tell him, he'd run away screaming, terrified of me. I bit my lip at the though of being feared, I didn't want to be thought of as a monster.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That must be hard." he said, again, there was that moment where I saw a glimpse of what I am, a shimmer of wolf. Then its gone. He's just a normal boy again, who hangs with that girl. Who is she, more importantly, what is she? A witch? A siren? Maybe even both...

"What about you? What's your story?" I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me. He smiles, but I can tell its not genuine. He's hiding something, but I cant judge, I'm hiding a pretty big secret too. He showed me curiosity, so I was going to show him some. I was interested anyway, he seemed like a nice person, and all I wanted was one friend.

"I ran away from my mom, I didn't like her... Style of life. Then I came here, and I've lived here since." he said just as the bus pulled up next to the castle. Suddenly, a rush of energy surged through me, and I felt like running. This happened often, when I hadn't changed in a long time. My wolf genes would explode inside my blood, and I'd need to let it off in some sort of physical activity. Usually, I ran, and I got good at it, so good I was approached to be on a cross country team at my old school.

"You wanna run?" the question escaped my lips in an excited rush, and I couldn't believe I said that. But he didn't look at me like I was crazy, he grinned and jumped up from his seat, pushing and shoving through the crowd. I laughed and charged after him, and when my feet hit the ground, I felt exhilaration run through me. I ran as fast as I could, and as my muscles pumped and I over took Rhydian, I heard the gasps at how fast I could run. My wolfblood qualities were raging, and I felt the blue veins spread down my arms and hands, felt them creep up my face. Then I felt my eyes turn the golden yellow of a wolf, and I realised I had to stop.

I dug my feet into the squishy grass and pulled myself to a stop, my chest heaving as I tried to make the veins disappear. Rhydian ran into me, and we tumbled to the ground. I laughed, but I was so nervous that he could see straight through my human disguise. But he just laughed, and I tried to laugh too. He looked at me with curiosity, like he knew somewhere in his mind the pieces of the puzzle that fitted together to make me, but couldn't make them hold. I wished desperately that I could control my wolf impulses, but that is one thing even the founders couldn't master. If I could hold myself back, I wouldn't be lying here with this incredibly perplexing, gorgeous boy. I wouldn't have to fight to keep myself from changing, I wouldn't have to run all the time.

For a moment, he looked into my eyes, and I forgot my training, forgot my pain, and just... laid there. Then he laughed nervously and sat up, brushing leaves and mud off of his uniform. He stood, then held his hand out for me to take. When our hands met, there was a rippling in the surrounding moors, a wind that whipped around us like a tornado. I gasped, feeling the inside of my chest freeze and burn at the same time. Then, everything seemed to disappear as his hand slid out from mine, and he shoved it into his pocket. I blushed, and turned into the wind, trying to hide the embarrassment. What had just happened? More importantly, why? I wanted to grab his hand again, to feel the unbelievable sensations and to drink them in, until I was drunk on the emotions, but I knew I couldn't do that, not without him thinking I'm a freak.

"We need to go before we're missed." Rhydian smiled, already heading across the moors without me. I watched him for a second, frozen in place, until he finally stopped and turned. He cocked his head to the side, the way a dog does, then gestured for me to follow. I sprinted towards him, shoving him playfully as I reached him, spinning to face him as I jogged backwards. He grinned, then broke into a run as I turned and ran towards the castle. Again, I ran a lot faster than him, and reached the castle steps about 5 foot in front of him. I ran up the steps, charged through the door and joined the group of students from my new school, and listened to the lecture the teacher was giving. Rhydian stood behind me, trying to catch his breath, and Maddy stood with a pale, freckled ginger haired girl and a tall, lean dark skinned boy.

The teacher went on about hauntings and ghosts, but I could smell something strong and flowery. The perfume was worn by the girl across the room, and would be barely noticeable to normal humans. But it sent me into a sneezing fit, my head reeling, my eyes clouding as the black veins started to spread across my hands. My heart beat pounded in my ears, the veins spread further, my eyes turning the feline yellow of a wolf and I just ran towards the nearest exit. I ran up the stone steps, out onto the balcony, into the cool clean air. I braced myself against the wall, gulping in air, then I heard someone else run up the stairs. I slumped onto the floor, back against the stone wall, closed my eyes and listened as Rhydian walked onto the balcony and stopped dead a couple of feet in front of me. I didn't look at him, I didn't need to, because I already knew what he looked like. Concerned, confused and maybe even scared. I didn't want him to pity me, I wasn't the type of person to accept pity. After years and years of taking care of myself, I'd come to see pity as people identifying a weakness, and I didn't want to be weak.

"Are, urh, are you okay?" he asked hesitantly, and I finally opened my eyes to look at him. My eyes locked on his, and for a second, I forgot that tonight I was going to become a wolf, that tonight was the full moon. Then I looked away and slipped back into reality, or as real as being a wolfblood can be. I didn't want to think about him, and the possibility of being normal. Thinking about what I couldn't have only made life worse. Wait, since when did I want Rhydian?

"I'm fine." I say shortly, my voice shaky and tight. He isn't convinced, which doesn't surprise me, but he takes a few steps towards me, drops to his knees, then tilts my chin up. He presses his hand to my forehead, and I try to pull away, surprised by how it feels. But he's strong, and I'm too weak to fight him. I don't want to fight him, a part of my brain whispers, and I try to push that part down.

"You have a temperature." he said, his fingers traveling down my cheek, my jaw, briefly scrapping my lips, until they finally rested on my neck, taking my pulse. He frowned, but didn't move his fingers. I looked into his eyes, and saw his concern. There was no pity, and that reassured me that I wasn't weak.

"I'm fine. Seriously, I'm just a bit hot that's all. Allergies or something." I tried, but he was having none of it. He pressed his hand against my shoulder, as if steadying himself. His hands were soft but firm, and I could see his muscles bunching under his shirt. My finger nails dug into my palms, trying to use pain to regain control over the veins that started to creep up my hands.

"Your pulse is really high, that's not allergies." he said, brow furrowing in confusion and frustration. I heard a teacher running up the stairs, then stopping dead near the wall. I looked past Rhydian at the woman whose name was Mrs Donavan, and saw how she was clinging to the walls for dear life. She was afraid of heights. I could tell by the way her eyes flicked across the edge of the roof, her nails digging into the brick wall.

"Are you okay Leona? We have to set out on our expedition soon." she said, her voice strained with terror. I tried to stand by myself, but Rhydian put an arm around my shoulders and hauled me up instead. I let him, liking the feel of his hands on my skin. The fact that he cared enough to help made me feel welcome, and my desperation to find friends disappeared. I already had one.

"Thank you." I whispered, then turned to the teacher, whose eyes kept darting around the space. She look deep breaths, and I could see she was almost hyperventilating. She really didn't want to be up here, but she had no choice.

"Yes, just needed some fresh air." I said, walking confidently towards the door. Rhydian followed close behind, his footsteps light and quiet. She smiled at me, then we all headed down the stairs back to the group. Everyone stared at me, but I didn't care. I stood at the back of the crowd with Rhydian, Maddy, the ginger girl, whose name was Shannon and the other boy, whose name was Tom.

"Right ladies and gentleman. Get into teams, we will be giving out the sheets. Whoever finds all the historical sights first and works out the clues will win." Mrs Donovan said gleefully, and without any warning, someone was tugging my arm to the side, into a group. I looked up into Rhydians eyes and smiled, but I could already hear Maddy's disgust. She was muttering something witty into Shannon's ear, and Shannon laughed slightly, Tom scowled at the both, then smiled shyly at me. I smiled back, which seemed to annoy Maddy even more. I was going to enjoy annoying her.


	3. The fall

**Sorry about the long wait, been trying to stretch it out so I don't upload everything at the same time. Enjoy!**

"Ok, me and Leona will take the beaches, you, Tom and Shannon take the rest, okay? Great." before Maddy could react, Rhydian was snatching the beach sheet and running with me towards the sea. We laughed as we ran, the wind whipping through my hair, then we slowed near the old wooden boats. Moss and algae grew over the stones, and I picked my way through the seaweed, picking up a piece and chucking it at Rhydian. It landed on his shoulder, and he made a disgusted face, wiping it off with a grin. He tried to get me with a piece, but I dodged, laughing contentedly. He was about to grab me and shove a piece of seaweed in my face when a group of boys came over.

"Hey weird boy! Whatcha doing with the hot girl?" a boy with pitch black hair asked, walking towards us, two others flanking either side of him. Rhydian rolled his eyes, gave me an apologetic look, then watched helplessly as the boy grabbed his bag and chucked it on top of one of the old, upturned, rotting wooden boats. They laughed, thinking this was the ultimate prank to win me over, but I just rolled my eyes, not taking any notice of their prying eyes.

"Go fetch, weird boy." they all laughed as Rhydian climbed up the side and onto the boat, balancing precariously on the wooden planking. I watched him carefully, dreading every moment he was up there. He grabbed his bag, then smirked. He started to balance on the thin raised plank down the middle of the boat, walking as if he was on a tight rope. The boys whooped and cheered, but I was scared. If he fell, he could get seriously hurt. I watched, every sense on edge, walking alone the length of the boat, every step he took, I took.

"Come on Rhydian, get down." I warned, trying to climb up the boat to get him down. But Rhydian misplaced his foot, and he slipped. He tumbled to the floor, and I ran to his side, telling the boys to stay back and get a teacher. They ran off, but I wouldn't leave him. Rhydian groaned in pain, and I made sure not to jolt his leg, I knew he would get hurt, I should have climbed onto the boat myself and gotten it.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly, examining his leg as he wince in pain. He looked around, examining the tide as it came in. I pressed on different parts of his leg, and when I touched the spot his ankle, he stifled a cry of pain. I winced, hating the sound of pain. I'd never been good with others pain, especially when I felt so guilty for it.

"You should go, the tides coming in." he said anxiously, wincing as he tried to move his leg. I put my hand on his ankle softly, trying not to hurt him. I wasn't going to leave him on his own, it didn't matter about the tide, or everyone else, not even about the fact I was going to change, all that mattered was his safety.

"I'm not leaving you, not alone, okay?" I said adamantly, taking his hand and smiling down at him. His brow furrowed in concern, but he didn't move. Soon, the old teacher, Mr Henson, came to help Rhydian. He hauled him up, put one of Rhydians arms around his shoulders, the other around mine.

"What about the tide sir?" Rhydian asked, looking out at the sea, which was rapidly approaching. We walked as quickly as possible towards the van, where students were moaning. I held both of Rhydians hands as I helped him into his seat, then I fell onto him as the van lurched forward, Mr Henson driving like a mad man, as fast as he can to make it back before the tide comes in. My arms wrapped around his neck, my face pressed into his chest and when I looked up at him, he was staring at me with a mixture of emotions. I pulled myself up, my cheeks flushing a bright red as we sped towards the , the bus stopped, and everyone plunged into a chorus of panic, because the crossing was closed and the next one wasn't until midnight.

"Thanks Rhydian, you idiot!" a girl who wore big, bright jewellery and loads of make up spat, and her two minions agreed. They were the 3 K's, the richest, dumbest girls in school, and they were all giving Rhydian the bus was turned around, and we headed towards the old village, in search of a place to stay. Finally, we found an old B&B, and we were hustled into the big, dated living space while Mr Henson made a phone call to the school. I sat on the red patterned sofa, the flames in the fire triggering a small appearance of veins. I shoved my hands into my pockets, then looked around the room at all of the bored, fed up students. We would have to stay the night here, and I would have to get well away from the village before I changed.


	4. Sleepy secrets

**im so sorry about the long wait but hope you enjoy!**

"Okay, the school and the owner have given us permission to stay here the night. We will allocate your rooms, and then if you want to contact your parents you can." Mr Henson said, and there were collective groans from the group. No, I couldn't stay, they would end up finding out my secret. I felt my heart sink, my pulse racing in fear. What was I suppose to do? Turn in front of the whole class? Groups were being sorted, divided into groups of 3 or 4. Rhydian was given the storage closet because he couldn't get up the stairs. Then, the teacher got to me, Mr Henson's eyes apologetic and sympathetic. Everyone else had a group, even Maddy and Shannon, but I was alone. The lonely new girl once again. No friends, apart from Rhydian, even Maddy didn't seem to like me, but I guess that's just because she likes Rhydian, and can't stand the fact that I'm now friends with him.

"Leona, I'm sorry but I cant seem to find a place for you. Would you mind sleeping here, in the lounge? The doors will be on the latch so theres not a risk of an intruder." his eyes were soft and full of apologies. I considered for a second, being in a room on my own wouldn't be so bad, especially seeming as I'll be able to get out tonight unmissed. I nodded, twiddling my thumbs behind my back. He cracked a smile as wide as the river Thames, and I couldn't help smiling too. I felt someone's eyes on the back of my head and turned discreetly to look at whoever was staring at me.

Rhydian looked down as soon as my eyes met his, flushing slightly. I looked down, smiling softly at the floor. Mr Henson had left me to sort through all the old, woven red and gold tasseled blankets piled high by the fire wood. Rhydian limped off, towards what was probably the storage cupboard. I turned, walking towards the blankets, wondering how I was going to sneak out tonight. I looked at the old grandfather clock perched in the far corner, reading the time. 6:48pm. At 9, I would have to be far away from the village, out by the cliffs.

I pulled three large blankets with multiple holes from the selection and plonked them on the old, antique, plush sofa. I started rearranging the cushions when I had a thought. I hardly knew this place, I would have to get directions to the cliffs from someone. The only person who would even satisfy my question with an answer was Rhydian. I knew I was making excuses to see Rhydian, but I just wanted to talk to him.

I pushed the thought away, picked up another blanket and headed towards the storage cupboard, my footsteps light on the wooden floors. When I reached the door, I hesitated slightly, wondering what his reaction would be, if he'd ask questions or not. I touched the handel, the cold metal sending a shiver through my body. I opened the door without a second thought, and instantly someone was grabbing me. Panic rose in my mind, and I lashed out, landing a blow to Rhydians stomach. He spluttered, letting me go to gulp in a deep breath. I put my hand on his shoulders, steadying him until he caught his breath, then he straightened, eying the blanket that had dropped from my grip.

"I'm sorry." we said in unison, we both smiled, me softly, him grinning like an idiot. He went to sit, pulling his leg up onto the camping bed, wincing slightly as he tried to get comfy. I picked up the blanket and shoved it onto the corner of the bed, and he smiled gratefully. I sat carefully, trying not to jostle him, wondering how to ask the question without sounding suspicious. I met his eyes, my breath catching slightly, I completely lost my train of thought and wondered how he could be so innocent. His eyes were so calm and pretty, deep with emotions, holding an intensity that startled me.

"I'm sorry, about the whole tide thing. You probably want to get back to your family." he apologised, and his statement took me by surprise. I didn't know exactly what to say to that, it wasn't true, but it wasn't false either. I thought about my family, my five siblings, each one beautiful and strong. The brother who had gotten me exiled was Theo, he's only a year younger than me at 14, and he'd done a stupid thing for the same reason as most young wolves. For their mark. A girl, his girl, to be specific, had been hunting when she had been shot by a farmer. She hadn't been badly hurt, but Theo was enraged. He'd killed the farmer, and had the audacity to anger the head of the colony by fighting with him. We'd been exiled, no matter how special we were, and hunters from all around the world were now after us. But the rest of them, the twins Jem and Polly, who are both 10, Quinn, whose 17 and Oliver whose 19, are all fine, and I love them. I love Theo too, but I'm still angry at him.

"It wasn't your fault you hurt yourself, those guys, they were idiots." I avoid the topic of my family, I know its so obvious to him that he's probably questioning me, but I don't care. He looks at his ankle and sighs, his eyes sad, almost regretful. He still looks guiltily at me, but his eyes are drooping, and he's reclining backwards, propped up by pillows, his shoulders resting against the wall slightly. I wonder if he'll fall asleep with me here. I move to leave, but his hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me down again.

"Tell me about them, your family." he said, seeming generally interested. I hesitate, worrying at my lip, my teeth digging into my flesh. Should I tell him, does it even matter? What harm could it do? He's just trying to get to know me, and theres no problem with that. I feel his grip on my wrist soften, and wonder what his story is. I believe him, about running from his mother, but theres more than that, I can tell.

"My mother and father, they, umm, they aren't around anymore. Not since the twins were born. For ten years, we fended for ourselves, I was five at the time. It was like, I don't know, being free but bound. Like I could do what ever I wanted yet nothing at all because I had to set an example for the younger ones." the words are pouring from my mouth, and I cant stop them. My mind is screaming at me to stop, but its like I have no control over myself anymore. I want to tell him, and that's the problem. I trust him so willingly that its scary, trusting people has always been a problem for me.

"Jem and Poppy, the twins, they don't remember them, my parents. But I do, and I wish I didn't. Everything that they did, everything that they have done to us, abandoning us, leaving a nine year old to care for his four younger siblings, two of which are babies, it gives me the motivation to hate them. But I don't. My brothers, I know they'll always protect me, even if they do stupid things. Its them or nothing, you know? Where I lived, family was everything." finally I manage to silence myself, to stop the torrent of emotions before I let my secret slip. Rhydian stared at me like I was one of the bravest people on the planet, and some part of me savoured the fact that he seemed to admire me. He looked tired, more so than before, and I realised he'd been listening intently, absorbing every word, my voice pulling him to sleep like it would a child.

"I'm sorry. That must be hard." he mumbles, hardly able to keep his eyes open. I don't move away, the way his face looks so innocent, so peaceful, without a trace of pain, is breathtaking. I continue to stare at him, at his hair, shining dimly in the small glow of the murky light bulb, the way his lips are set into a soft, childlike smile, his whole body relaxing, muscles showing through his shirt. I'm over taken with the desire to touch his hair, to feel the inevitable softness and warmth of his skin.


	5. Find me changing

**sorry I haven't uploaded in such a long time, been very busy lately, but I hope you like this chapter**

"Please keep talking." he whispers, and I snap out of my reverie, a little baffled by his request.

"About what?" I ask, my own voice soft and quite. I'm acutely aware that in a short amount of time I will be transforming, and that I haven't even asked him for directions to the cliffs yet. I push the thought away, waiting for his reply.

"Anything, your home. Can you turn the light off?" he asked, and I reach for the cord that dangles from the ceiling, tugging on it softly. We're plunged into darkness, and it takes all of ten seconds for my eyesight to adjust. Rhydian slumped further down into his bed, and I draped the blanket caringly over him. I can see him smile, pulling the blanket around him gratefully.

"My home was beautiful. In summer, wild flowers would grow wild, we would climb to the tallest hill and see for miles. The sky was a pale blue, it hardly ever seemed grey or black, apart from at night. It wasn't dark, stars would shine like thousands of crystals, and I would point out the constellations to Jem, lying gazing at the stars until sunrise." my throat tightens slightly, the memory of my home is painful.

"We would walk up into the forest and bathe in the hot water springs, or swim in the lakes and rivers. Everything was beautiful, the colours were always vibrant, so unrealistic, yet completely natural. Then when it snowed, that was just amazing. Powdered diamonds would cover the ground, we'd get tons of it, like 6 feet. Then the storms, they weren't great. Polly hated storms, I'd have to sing and talk until she calmed down. Every season was like nothing I've ever seen anywhere else. Like someone hit the enhance button and cranked up the brightness." I pause, finding that Rhydian is asleep, curled up in the mass of covers, adorable and vulnerable. I get up slowly, careful not to jolt him, then open the door, wincing when it creaks. Rhydian stirs, and I hold my breath, not daring to move. He fidgeted, but didn't seem to move, his fingers still remembering the grip they had on my wrist. I close the door behind me, then walk away, towards the front door.

I hit the cobblestones running, following my nose and the scent of sea water. I make it up onto the moors, to a large ledge made of grey rock. Below the ledge is a grassy slope, plunging steadily into woodlands and, far off, the village. The moon is rising, and I can feel its pull. The veins on the back of my hands start creeping up my arms, looking like branches of ink. I tilt my head up to the sky as the veins complete their path, reaching up my neck and face. Before my eyes can turn a canine yellow, I hear a gasp behind me.

"Leona?" I spin around at the sound of Rhydians voice, and then I see him, inked with black veins, and realise what he is. He's like me, the trust I felt for him was because he was a wolfblood. I stand completely still, not knowing what to do. He steps towards me and reaches for my face, brushing his thumbs against the black lines. I relax under his touch, feeling safe here with him. He smiles, amazement and wonder spread across his face.

**Bit of a short one, but what do you think? are you happy about the whole leona Rhydian thing?**


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